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Partly off-topic, but the EU is clamping down on tax havens, to be confirmed in Feb
This was always one of the main Brexit drivers, and will still hit tax dodgers badly. Good. Obviously, if the UK attempts to be a tax haven in some form, we'll also be blacklisted
Fascinating session of the Lords Risk Assessment and Risk Planning Committee this a.m., Covid was a big feature:
An almost throw away comment by Lord Ricketts (former, and first, UK National Security Advisor) was that it seems a large human resource in Whitehall, across all Departments, was moved out of addressing the National Risk Register to deal with Brexit. This is very significant because the risk identified as having both the Highest Likelihood and Highest Impact was a viral pandemic.
Chalk another one up in the dis-benefit column for Brexit.
Stewart Lee in the Graun on the plight of that UKIP eel farmer’s Bregret:
I was among many in the liberal commentariat ridiculed for flagging up the post-Brexit fate of eels. Indeed, to highlight the issue in the spring of 2016, I and Bob Geldof swam the full length of the Severn estuary dressed as eels, while Nigel Farage bombarded us with scoops of mash from an amphibious vehicle. Our gesture was, predictably, dismissed as part of “Project Fear” by Dan Hananananan in the Daily Telegraph, and yet our projected fears have come true.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/03/this-deal-is-enough-to-make-an-eel-squeal
Ma Mere wouldn't.
Well, it's a personal choice, I am just sad when that decision is based on fake news - as is the case with a very close family member. I have tried to rehearse the facts for every point made, but to no avail. Totally in the grip of FaceBook promulgated nonsense.
Interesting. What level of protection will she have if it’s the AZ jab? Oh you don’t know was that? And with either jab what protection will she get after a second jab outside the tested time limits? Oh you don’t know again. Will they all have to be done again to achieve herd immunity? Not sure? Give my regards to her at least 26,500 (and bear in mind that France considers its corona-virus response as shocking - would you prefer to compare it to Germany’s?) extra compatriots at the morgue, all of which could have been achieved under the EU.
https://trans.info/en/almost-half-of-lorries-bound-for-calais-completely-empty-219325
Richard Burnett, the RHA’s Chief Executive, told the Times yesterday “Between 40% and 50% of trucks going back to Europe through the Dover short straits crossing are carrying nothing but fresh air – normally that level would be 15% to 18%.”
And this from an EU haulier:
Companies are willing to pay the price for the trucks to go back empty because it’s cheaper than being stuck in a lorry park for four or five days. We charge €400 to €600 a day, so it’s cheaper for companies to pay for the trailer to go back empty and then get another delivery back into the truck. It’s stupid at the end of the day but that is Brexit.
I believe that you still only have one plus in your column.
I don't think the vaccine is actually technically a plus. We did what we did regarding the vaccine (emergency approval, started rolling out) before Christmas several weeks before we shed the EU rules. Clearly we were allowed to do that as part of the EU and quite probably, given the situation we are still in, we would have anyway regardless of the vote in 2016. Chalking it up to Brexit is stretching it a bit far.
Pertinent about the distribution of the vaccines within the EU though, no?
We moved rapdily, identified ones to buy and invested in them well up front (5 out of those 7 now approved, I believe) and so we have secured our vaccine supply to the best of our ability.
If that had been within the EU purchasing scheme, all supplies (including from UK based factories) would now be being shared out pro-rata to population amongst 28countries.
But opting out of the EU purchasing scheme isn't a Brexit dividend. We had that right all along, a bit like not adopting the Euro. I suspect given the same situation but not on the eve of Brexit we'd have been at least 50/50 to go the way we did anyway.
So for me the balance sheet is looking rather one sided at the moment. And I'm sure there will be improvements, but those sunny uplands are looking a long way away for many UK people who are seeing their jobs slip away. Don't get me wrong - I suspect no matter what happens the government is going to want people like me to teach maths as long as I want to do that, and retirement is just an option away for me. Not so for my daughter, son in law and of course my grandsons, but for me, not really an issue.
Yet more endemic Brexit problems
"Ah but what about vaccines, eh?" is starting to sound a bit like "Benghazi!!! Hillary's emails!!!" from the other side of the pond.
The lorry queue is a perfect example of how the massive house of cards is collapsing in parts
Some of the issues are "teething problems" (what a literally patronising term for the destruction of people's livelihoods), and some are permanent
Small businesses mostly operate on fine margins, so logistical delays cost money that is hard to come by, and with zero benefit. For fresh goods, they depreciate, leading to problems with selling on. For manufactured goods or parts this has knock-on effects both upstream and downstream on the supply chain
But this is ok, because it's temporary - or is it? Some of these companies will have gone out of business. Ultimately, the demand for their goods or supplies will be met by other companies - these will be those who survive the double-whammy of Brexit+Covid. They'll be the bigger companies, esp those with a strong foothold in the EU already.
So, the bottom line is that smaller companies may go broke, and the internationals will eventually benefit
That's the objective of Brexit, isn't it?
PS - corrected typo
The lorry queue is a perfect example of how the massively house of cards is collapsing in parts
So, in view of this 'massively house of cards is collapsing', when do you anticipate Her Majesty's Government changing its policy, and begging the EU to let us back into their peaceful and prosperous paradise? Or are you anticipating a general uprising of the at-last disillusioned British populace to force them so to do?
Because the only two possibilities for our post-Brexit relationship with the EU are 1) exactly as we are; and 2) membership of the EU?
The current position doesn’t look tenable, the EU have secured a smashing deal - for them; Government thinks it’s too expensive, especially on top of Covid. They’ll want to move from the status quo. The question is in which direction? DUP already talking about renegotiation of N Ireland protocol, and there’s inside Tory pressure for side deals to smooth trade barriers. Obviously ERG are pushing the other way but it’s much worse in the short/mid-term and there’s an election in 3 years, and with The most emotive aspect of Brexit out the way, an 80 seat majority, and more or less equal polling with Starmer, and polling of the Government’s handling/success of Brexit dropping 10 percentage points since January first, the ERG tail doesn’t wag the Tory dog anymore. You’re not emotionally attached to this Brexit because it’s the one you voted for are you?
And this from the UUP today: https://uup.org/assets/images/UUP%20NI%20Protocol%20solutions%20paper.pdf
The UK Government could legislate to put in place a requirement on companies based in Great Britain to ensure equality of provision to all regions of the UK Internal Market
Actual real quote. 1 month in.
So, in view of this 'massively house of cards is collapsing', when do you anticipate Her Majesty's Government changing its policy, and begging the EU to let us back into their peaceful and prosperous paradise? Or are you anticipating a general uprising of the at-last disillusioned British populace to force them so to do?
Well, why don't we just have another referendum, in say, two years time?
9 of those 11 countries we already have an FTA with or likely soon will. I'm not sure how a trade deal which mainly assists trading with the two outstanding countries (Malaysia and Brunei) makes up for the shortfall from neutering the benefits of our trading partnership with the EU, especially as the EU also has FTAs or provisionally applied FTAs with the same countries, but without the extra paperwork, with more transparancy on the back of more consultation. Future options for TPP-11 are already benefits the EU enjoys or are seriously being explored - we're now behind the curve, looking to make it up as a weaker applicant to a weaker trading block...
So far, not a Brexit benefit.
And another ...
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55903599
EU shelfish import ban permanent. Bravo Brexiters!
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